"Nothing. Just a mosquito landed and I swatted it away, it's not a big deal," Max said, trying to look as convincing as possible while turning his face away.

But Cassie wasn’t easily convinced. She reached out to touch her brother’s face to see for herself. "But it looks very painful. Wait a minute, I’ll be right back."

Without waiting for a response, Cassie ran back to her room to grab a first-aid kit, leaving Max standing there, watching her go. "How can I let a cheerful girl like her suffer, Dad? After all, we are at fault here."

The man swallowed hard. It was then that he heard Cassie’s footsteps again. Seeing her run down the stairs, Max rushed over and shouted, "Cassie, be careful!"

But just as Max opened his mouth, Cassie tumbled down the fourth step and fell to the floor. Luckily, Max swiftly caught her, cradling her in his arms.

For a moment, Max let himself stay in this position. Somehow, his heart always raced when he was this close to his sister. But his gaze shifted when an innocent smile appeared on Cassie’s face. "You caught me, big brother."

Only then did Max release his hold on her and straighten up. However, Cassie seemed oblivious to the change in Max’s expression. She only focused on his face and pulled his hand to sit at the dining table. "Brother, I’ll treat your wound."

While Cassie was focused on Max’s face, he stared at her firmly. "Don’t do that again next time."

"Do what again?" Cassie, still focused on Max’s wound, asked without processing her brother’s words.

Max sighed, exasperated. "You’re always in a hurry with everything. Besides, you’re careless, forgetful, and never do anything right. How can you become an adult and independent like this?"

"So what? I’m going to live with you forever, so I don’t have to deal with all those troublesome things."

For a moment, Max was taken aback by her response. He almost choked on his own saliva. Then he pinched the girl’s delicate nose playfully. "You can’t always be a bother to me. I have my own world, and I won’t have time to take care of myself if I’m always watching over you."

"Ow, ow!" The girl pulled Max’s large hand away from her nose and then rubbed it gently. "My nose might shorten if you keep doing that."

"Really? Then come here, and I’ll do it again." Max got up from his chair, intending to catch his sister.

But Cassie, knowing Max’s movements, got up and ran. Thus, a chase ensued between them. Cassie circled the dining table to avoid him, while Max continued to pursue her, determined not to let her escape.

"Hey, come here!" Max shouted with a grin on his face.

Hearing this, Cassie, with a playful expression, kept running. "No way! If you can, catch me!"

They continued to run around, their faces filled with joy and cheer. Eventually, Max managed to catch Cassie after climbing onto the table and jumping. Now, the girl was in her brother’s embrace. "Where are you going to run now, huh?"

"Mercy, big brother, mercy!" Cassie shouted as Max’s hands tried to pinch her nose again.

Meanwhile, Leo, who had not yet left Max’s house, watched them from behind a wall. His face turned red with restrained anger, his gaze sharp as if ready to pounce on an enemy at any moment. "I have to separate them no matter what."

***

That afternoon at the office, Max was seen gently massaging his throbbing forehead. He placed the files he had been reviewing onto the desk. His breath sounded heavy from exhaustion.

Eventually, he leaned back in his chair and did nothing. His gaze fell on a small photo frame he had displayed here since the beginning. A slow smile spread across his face as he looked at it. "Mom, how are you? Is it so beautiful there that you’ve never even visited my dreams?"

"Mom, I want to introduce you to someone. He..."

"Big Brother!"

Before Max could finish his sentence, a voice he recognized instantly reached his ears. Looking up, he saw a girl in a black tank top and long jeans walking towards him with her usual cheerful expression.

Quickly, he put the photo back in its place. Then, he slowly walked to the long sofa in the corner of the room, which faced the ocean at the city’s edge.

"Big Brother, look, I brought you a cherry pie." The girl, with her cheerful face, opened the small bag she carried.

Max smiled slightly before sitting down next to her. However, his gaze turned intimidating as he looked at Cassie. "How did you get here? Did you skip class?"

For a moment, the girl was silent but quickly shook her head. "How could I skip when you’re working hard to pay for my education?"

"I don’t care how much money I spend on you. You just have to be happy. So tell me, why are you here at lunchtime?"

"My classes ended early today. Only one lecturer was present, so I could come home early. I saw cherries in the fridge and decided to make this for you. I guessed you were craving it, right?" The girl spoke quickly and adorably while pointing at the man in front of her.

Another smile spread across Max’s face. He then swatted Cassie’s hand away. "Are you sure I won’t end up in the hospital eating this?"

"Big Brother, I made it as best as I could. It might not look great, but I’ve tried it, and it tastes good."

"Really?" Max looked mischievously at his sister.

Then, the girl took a spoon and cut a piece. "Okay, see this."

She intended to put it in her own mouth, but Max grabbed her hand and directed it to his mouth instead. Cassie only huffed. "You never do anything with your own hands, big brother."

But Max ignored Cassie’s words and focused on chewing. Cassie watched anxiously, worried that Max might actually be poisoned.

A few seconds later, Max’s expression became unusual, causing Cassie to panic and gently pat his back. "Big Brother, if you don’t like it, just spit it out. I promise I’ll bring something better."